Serial interconnects such as the PCI-Express® interconnect (PCI-E) are used in high performance systems such as today's data storage systems as high speed memory and I/O interconnects. (PCI-Express® is a registered trademark of PCI-SIG.) PCI-E transfers data via differential signal pairs called “Lanes”. In order to transmit very high speed signals that can be cleanly received, the physical run lengths of the differential signal pairs are limited. In order to extend the run lengths of the PCI-E signals, a PCI-E bridge or switch is typically used. These devices are expensive and incorporate buffering that adds latency into the signal path—latency that is often unacceptable in high performance system designs.